Lighting



Aug. 5, 1969 BRUNER 3,459,935

LIGHTING Filed April 6, 1967 FIG I 3,459,935 LIGHTING John M. R. Bruner, 4 School St., Groton, Mass. 01450 Filed Apr. 6, 1967, Ser. No. 629,017 Int. Cl. F21v 21/02, 21/06 US. Cl. 24052 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to lighting.

It is the primary object of the invention to provide a light source that can be securely clamped to supports ranging from thick objects to thin rods. Other objects are to provide such a light source that is portable, compact, inexpensive, that permits easy storage of a long electrical cord, and that offers decreased risk of electrical shock.

The invention features a lamp with a first clamping member fixedly secured to its base and a second clamping member pivotally secured in vertical alignment with the first clamping member to clamp between clamping surfaces thereof the lamp onto thick objects, the second clamping member including 'also at least one gripping member extending at an angle to the second clamping member clamping surface. In preferred embodiments there is featured a step-down transformer in the lamp base, the second clamping member is pivotally mounted on the base with its fulcrum vertically aligned with the center of gravity of the base, and laces are interconnected between portions of the peripheries of the first and second clamping members to serve as part of a spool for winding and storing the lamp cord.

Other objects, features, and advantages will appear from the following description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, taken together with the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of said embodiment clamped to a thin vertical support.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation thereof, showing it clamped to a thick horizontal object.

FIG. 3 is a front end elevation thereof in the open position of FIG. 2.

In FIG. 1 the lamp is shown clamped to supporting rod 11. The lamp bulb and shade 13 are pivotally and rotatably mounted at the end of telescoping extension arm 12, which is pivotally mounted on the base (which includes an enclosed transformer) at gudgeons 17. Most of the lamp weight is in base 10. The clamp details are best seen in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. Fixed clamp member 14 is round except for projecting lip 34, is of non-conducting high-irnpact-strength polycarbonate resin, and is secured to the bottom of base 10 with its center just below the center of the base. Base 10 is of nonconducting polycarbonate resin and has a horizontal groove 20 of semi-cylindrical cross-section extending laterally across its entire width. Movable clamp member 16 is round except for projecting lip 32, is of non-conducting polycarbonate resin, and is pivotally mounted about axis 30 directly over the center of gravity of base 10. In movable clamp member 16 is an aperture (shown in FIG. 1 at 31) of d States Patent '0 "ice Width and length to receive the base and permit movable clamp member 16 to be mounted with axis 30 vertically as well as horizontally near the center of gravity of base 10, and to rotate freely about axis 30 without interference with base 10.

Gripping members 22 project perpendicularly downward from movable clamp member 16, are spaced laterally outward from base 10 equidistant from the center of axis 30, and are spaced transversely from transformer 10 on the same side of axis 30 as is groove 20. Spring 36 biases movable clamp member 16 counterclockwise about axis 30. Flexible laces 24 are interconnected between edges 42 and 44 throughout about degrees of the rear periphery of clamp members 16 and 14 respectively. Projecting lip 32 is outwardly rolled outside clamp jaws 28 and 26 as shown in FIG. 2.

Use of non-conducting polycarbonate resin in clamp members 14 and 16 and base 10 greatly reduces the danger of a short circuit or other electrical failure charging supporting object 18 or 11 with hazardous line voltages. The use of stepped-down voltage at the bulb and shade assembly 13 provides further safety, particularly for medical use.

In operation, the lamp can stand alone on any relatively fiat surface with fixed clamp member 14 serving as a base, can be clamped to objects up to several inches thick with clamping surfaces 26 and 28, or can be clamped to objects very small in all cross-sectional dimensions with gripping members 22 and groove 20. For either mode of clamping, the clamping surfaces are separated by compressing edge 42 toward edge 44. When edge 42 is released, the torque of spring 36 acting on movable clamp member 16 causes the clamp to grip the supporting ob ject. When the lamp stands alone, the round shape and generous size of fixed clamp member 14 together with the fact that the center of gravity of base 10 is in vertical alignment with the geometrical center of fixed clamp member 14 ensures good stability even when arm 12 is so extended and positioned as to locate the shade and bulb assembly 13 at maximum radial distance from base 10. When the lamp is clamped to a supporting object, the short moment between the center of gravity of base 10 and the clamping surfaces makes for stability. When the lamp is to be moved or stored, electrical cord 38 may be conveniently wound around the spool formed by projecting lips 32 and 34 and laces 24.

Other embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art and are within the following claims:

What is claimed is:

1. A lamp comprising a base,

a first clamping member fixedly secured to said base,

said first clamping member including a first clamping surface,

a second clamping member mounted for pivotal movement about an axis parallel to said first clamping surface,

said second clamping member including a second clamping surface for cooperatively holding objects therebetween, a

third member for gripping objects,

said third member extending from said second member and including a gripping surface angularly related to said second clamping surface, and

flexible laces interconnected between portions of the peripheries of said first and said second clamping members,

said clamping members being at other portions thereof shaped to provide in combination with said flexible laces a winding spool for the cord of said lamp.

2. A lamp comprising a base,

said base being of electrically non-conducting material and having a horizontal groove extending laterally across its entire width,

a step-down transformer within said base,

an electric cord attached to said step-down transformer an extension arm pivotally mounted on the top of said base,

a shade and bulb pivotally and rotatably mounted at the end of said extension arm a round first clamping member of electrically nonconducting material fixedly secured to the bottom of said base with the center of said clamping member and the center of said base in vertical alignment,

said first clamping member including a first clamping surface,

a second round clamping member of electrically nonconducting material mounted for pivotal movement about an axis parallel to said first clamping surface and passing adjacent to the center of gravity of said base,

said second clamping member including a second clamping surface for cooperatively holding objects therebetween, said second clamping member having an aperture through which the base of said lamp extends, said second clamping member including two projecting gripping members extending downward perpendicularly from said second clamping member laterally spaced from the center of the axis of said second clamping member and transversely spaced from said axis in the direction of the clamping surfaces of said first and said second clamping members and including gripping surfaces adapted for clamping objects of small cross section against the horizontal groove in said base, flexible laces interconnected between portions of the peripheries of said first and said second clamping members over a portion of the peripheries of said first and said second clamping members,

and other portions thereof projecting outwardly therefrom to provide in combination with said flexible laces a winding spool for the electrical cord of said lamp.

3. A lamp comprising a base,

a first clamping member fixedly secured to said base,

said first clamping member including a first clamping surface,

a second clamping member mounted for pivotal movement about an axis parallel to said first clamping surface,

said second clamping member including a second clamping surface for cooperatively holding objects therebetween, and

two projecting gripping members extending from and perpendicularly to said second clamping member in a downward direction and transversely spaced from the axis of said second clamping member in the direction of the clamping surfaces of said first and said second clamping members.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 291,024 1/1884 Bennett 240-521 1,199,326 9/1916 Well 240-521 1,895,410 1/1933 DiFiglia 248226.3 2,081,797 5/1937 DiFiglia 248226.3 3,310,673 3/1967 Fletcher 240-81 NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner DAVID S. STALLARD, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 248228 

